A188-2



(Photo and text courtesy of Shawn Cleary at Analouge Haven)

The Doepfer A188-2 is another module that is based on a so-called bucket brigade device (BBD). If you are not familiar with BBD's, please refer to the A188-1. There you can find some details about this special type of circuits.

The main difference between A188-1 and A188-2 is the type of BBD circuit that leads to completely different module principles and sounds. The A188-1 uses different single BBD chips with one signal input and one signal output only. In contrast the A188-2 uses as so-called tapped BBD that has available six outputs - the so-called taps after the BBD stages 396, 662, 1194, 1726, 2790 and 3328. In the A188-2 we use this special BBD circuit (MN3011) to obtain these module features:

The module has available two separate mixing sub-units. For both mixers the levels and polarities of each bbd output can be adjusted to obtain two different mixtures of the bbd outputs. A new type of potentiometer with center detent and center terminal is used for the BBD mixing controls to have a better feel for the neutral position. Each mixer has a wet/dry control at its output that allows choosing between the pure input signal (original), the bbd mix or anything in between. The two outputs can be treated as stereo outputs but it is also possible to use one of the outputs for other applications (details in the next paragraph).

The A188-2 has a feedback section available that is very similar to the one in the A188-1. But as we now have 6 different BBD outputs available 6 different feedback types are possible. The feedback input socket is normalled to the "396" output (not to "1194" as shown in the scheme, the front panel is correct). But by patching the feedback socket to any of the single output sockets another bbd tap can be used for the feedback to obtain different sounds. Even external feedback processing is possible (e.g. with a VCA for voltage controlled feedback). The feedback control has polarizer function, i.e. the neutral position is at the center. left from the center the feedback signal is subtracted from the input signal, right from the center it's added (negative/positive feedback). Even for this potentiometer the new version with center detent is used.

A special feedback can be obtained if one of the mix outputs is used for the feedback function. In this case for each tap the positive or negative feedback share can be adjusted. This leads to multiple peaks and/or notches in the frequency response of the module.

For each tap of the BBD a separate output socket is available. These sockets can be used for changing the feedback loop - as mentioned above -, for voltage controlled mixing of the taps - e.g. with the voltage controlled mixer A135 or other applications that require access to each single tap.

The A188-2 uses the same high speed VCO (HSVCO) for the bbd clock as the A188-1. The clock and consequently the delay time can be controlled manually (delay control) and by the two control voltage inputs CV1 and CV2. The sensitivity of CV1 is approximately 1V/Oct. CV2 is equipped with a polarizer (the new type of potentiometers with center detent too). The HSVCO has a clock output available that is normalled to the clock input socket. These sockets can be used to link different BBD modules and to run them with the same clock. But even other applications with frequency dividers (e.g. a-163) or pll (e.g. a-196) are conceivable. A voltage composed of the manual delay control, CV1 and CV2 is available at the cv out socket, e.g. to control an external clock suppression filter as the A188-2 is not equipped with such a filter (same as for the A188-1).

This module has a maximum current draw of 120ma. It requires 30 HP/TE worth of space to fit in a Euro rack frame.